Communalism, familism, and filial piety: are they birds of a collectivist feather?

The present studies examined the extent to which (a) communalism, familism, and filial piety would pattern onto a single family/relationship primacy construct; (b) this construct would be closely related to indices of collectivism; and (c) this construct would be related to positive psychosocial functioning and psychological distress. In Study 1, 1,773 students from nine colleges and universities around the United States completed measures of communalism, familism, and filial piety, as well as of individualistic and collectivistic values. Results indicated that communalism, familism, and filial piety clustered onto a single factor. This factor, to which we refer as family/relationship primacy, was closely and positively related to collectivism but only weakly and positively related to individualism and independence. In Study 2, 10,491 students from 30 colleges and universities in 20 U.S. states completed measures of communalism, familism, and filial piety, as well as of positive psychosocial functioning and psychological distress. The family/relationship primacy factor again emerged and was positively associated with both positive psychosocial functioning and psychological distress. Clinical implications and future directions for the study of cultural values are discussed.     

Elaboration and validation of the athletes Idiocentric and Allocentric Profile Inventory (I-A Profile)

The athlete's psychological profile is one of the most studied areas in sport psychology, but there is no consensus in this area. The purpose of this study was to elaborate and validate a scale to measure and classify athletes into a Idiocentric-Alocentric profile. The method was split in two phases: a) Items elaboration and theoretical model and b) Validation. Qualitative analyses were performed during the first phase and factorial analysis and Cronbach's Alpha were used to validate the instrument. The final instrument was composed by 27 items and the factorial structure showed three factors for Idiocentrism (Self-Realization & Competitiveness, Hedonism, Team Emotional Distance and a second order factor - Idiocentrism Level) and one factor for the Alocentrism (Alocentrism Level). It was concluded that the pattern and consistency of the results indicate that this inventory could be used as a reliable research tool in Brazilian sports context.     

Frontal tests and models for cognitive ageing

Results of investigations of how specific behavioural changes in old age may be related to local changes in the brain have been discrepant because of neglect of methodological issues. Among these are neglect of the reliability and validity of frontal and executive tests; the operational definition and construct validity of hypothetical functional processes such as “inhibition”; the nature and origins of mutual relationships between tests; the relationships of test performance to higher order constructs of general mental ability such as “gf” and, most importantly, problems of cohort selection arising from imprecise definitions of the models of the ageing process. These problems are illustrated by a discussion of the results of several experiments in which younger and older groups of people are compared on frontal and executive tests.     

Hong Kong’s Umbrella Movement and the promotion of deviance

ABSTRACT

As a social movement demanding universal suffrage, Hong Kong’s Umbrella Movement mobilized thousands of young protesters and fomented radical views stridently subversive of mainland China’s political interference. The social movement continues to promote further forms of deviance in the form of calling for independence. As the city and former British colony lacks the sovereignty of statehood and democracy, the movement’s non-conformity to law needs to be contextualized as a form of deviance. In contributing to the deviancy of social movements, we utilize data obtained from interviews with participants of the movement alongside those who opposed the protest to understand the East Asian cultural setting of the Umbrella Movement’s promotion of deviance.     

Predicting mothers' reports of children's mental health three years after Hurricane Katrina

This study explored pathways through which hurricane-related stressors affected the psychological functioning of elementary school aged children who survived Hurricane Katrina. Participants included 184 mothers from the New Orleans area who completed assessments one year pre-disaster (Time 1), and one and three years post-disaster (Time 2 and Time 3, respectively). Mothers rated their children's behavior problems at Time 3 only (n = 251 children; 53.0% male; mean age: 10.19 years, SD = 1.68 years). A path analytic model indicated that hurricane-related stressors were associated with increased maternal psychological distress and school mobility in the first post-disaster year, which were associated with higher child internalizing and externalizing symptoms three years post-disaster. Mediation analysis indicated that hurricane-related stressors were associated with child symptoms indirectly, through their impact on maternal psychological distress. Findings underscore the importance of interventions that boost maternal and child mental health and support children through post-disaster school transitions.     

Pointing following in dogs: are simple or complex cognitive mechanisms involved?

Animal Cognition - Domestic dogs have proved to be extremely successful in finding hidden food following a series of human social cues such as pointing (an extended hand and index finger indicating...     

Volcanic Risk Exposure,Feelings of Insecurity,Stress, and Coping Strategies in México1

The present study investigates stress levels, feelings of insecurity, and coping strategies used by people living near an active volcano in México (Popocatépetl). The sample was composed of 198 adults, who were divided into 4 groups according to the risk zones in which they live. They answered a questionnaire addressing feelings of insecurity regarding volcanic risk, a coping strategies scale, and a stress scale. A significant interaction between active and passive coping strategies and risk zone was found. Higher levels of insecurity feelings regarding volcanic risk were associated with the highest stress levels evoked by facing a volcanic risk. A possible application of this study is at the community‐service level concerning risk prevention.